Improvement in spring bed-bottoms



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM C. MCGILL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING BED-BOTTOMS..

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.144,68, dated November18, 1873; application filed August 11, 1873.

To all whom t lmay concern:

y Be it known that I, WlLLrAM C. MCGILL, of the city of Cincinnati, inthe State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in SpringBed-Bottoms, of which the following is a speciication, and I do herebydeclare that in the same is contained a full, clear, and exactdescription of my said invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates, iirst, to a plate-spring, and its adaptation tothe cross-slats of the bedbottom; secondly, to a supplemental head boardor slat attached to, and in combination with, the main slat; and,thirdly, to the combination of a series of cross-slats to the lateralframe-work of the bed-bottom, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

The object of the rst part of my invention is to impart an elasticity tothe 'main slat by means which shall relieve the spring of much of thedirect strain to which it would otherwise be subjected; and the secondpart of my invention has for its purpose the providing of a furtherelasticity at that part of the main slat at which the supplemental slatmay be placed. The third part of my invention has for its object theconvenient adapting of the bed-bottom to bedsteads of different widths.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a plan or top view of my improved bed-bottom, Fig. 2

being a longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts of the invention inboth views.

A A are the sides, and B B the cross-bars, of the bed-frame, the saidbars being cylindrical in form. O represents the springs, a part of eachof which is bent in a circular manner aroundthe cylindrical cross-barsB, the rest of the spring being bent, as shown, so as to be doubled, andpresent the upper part thereof to the under surface of the main slat D,to which the end of the spring is secured. The cylindrical cross-bars,andthe circularformation of the ends of the springs, admit of theturning of the springs upon the bars when the pressure is placed uponthe bed-bottom, thus relieving the springs of much of the strain towhich they would otherwise be exposed. Another purpose of thecylindrical cross-bars is to admit of a lateral movement of the mainslats: Thus, should two persons ha-bitually use a bedstead having abottom of the description herein described, and one of the personsshould be of much greater weight than the other, the larger number ofslats can be arranged at the side of the bed occupied` bythe heavierparty. This adaptability of the slats to be `moved laterally will beadvantageous also in hospital use, invalids requiring at times a supportof a special character to certain parts of the person. The supplementalslat E, as shown in the drawing, is arranged as a head-board,`and, whenintended to be used thus, may be fastened permanentlyto the main slat.The supplemental slat has its outer end of a thickness greater than therest of its length, which, hav-4 ing a space between it and the mainslat, is allowed the necessary elasticity. Should it be desired to usethe supplemental slat in a capacity other than that of a head-board, itcan be moved upon the main slat,longitudinally to any part thereof. Itmay thus be usefully applied to the use of invalids under certaincircumstances.

The cylindrical cross-bars B are intended to be of a length to suit thelargest-sized bedsteads, one end of the said bars projecting throughholes in one of the frames A, of a diameter equal to their own. Theframe A r can afterward be moved toward, or apart from, the oppositeframe, andthe exact width of the bedstead provided for. VThe projectingends of the cross-bars B can then be sawed off, the frame secured, andthe main slats spaced or adjusted, as hereinbefore described.

Having described myinvention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure byLetters Patent ofthe United States, is-

1. The supplemental slat E attached per-` manently to, or capable of alongitudinal sliding movement upon, the main slat D, substantially asset forth, for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with the cylindrical crossbars B, springs C, and slatsD, the frames A, arranged to operate substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereto `sub-` scribed my name this fourth(4th) day of August, in the year of our Lord 1873.

WM. d. Moe-ILL.

Witnesses LLOYD SLEMMEE, J. P., WM.V T. HOWARD.

